Aha! So that’s where they’re going to use it. For those of you living under a rock for the past month, the Honda OSM Concept was a clay-model car that they showcased in the fairly recently concluded BIMS. Early reports had it that the OSM will be pretty similar to the CR-Z concept as a new low-emissions vehicle.

Now, with the launch of the new barely-facelifted 2009 Civic (thing didn’t even get a haircut, more like tweezed eyebrows), Honda is planning to redesign the next Civic incarnation and use the OSM as basis. And for those wishing for a new Civic hatch, prepare to rejoice.

The hatchback variant will get a mix of new elements as well as some carried-over ones from the current Civic. The front fascia, however, will be taken from the OSM concept. And yes, a new Type R is also in the pipeline! It will be powered by the 2.0L i-VTEC engine. And it might even be a hybrid too. Type R hybrid. Mmm…

What’s even more interesting is that Honda might even throw in a 1.5L gas engine + lithium-ion electric motor hybrid that will dish out a wicked 150 hp.

Source: AutoExpress

Teaser after teaser after teaser, Honda finally unveils the facelifted 2009 Honda Civic. Well, the exterior tweaks are barely recognizable, at least if you’re considering buying one, it now has more colors to choose from. The LX-S trim level also gets new alloy wheels as standard. Inside, there’s Bluetooth and USB audio connectivity.

Up front, the new Civic features a new bumper with new air inlets - three separate ones compared to one large single inlet from last year. At the back, the Civic’s taillights get some tweaking and a chrome now sits on top of the license plate holder.

The 2009 Civic features an interesting powertrain choice lineup including a base 1.8L i-VTEC that produces 140 hp that is mates to either a 5-speed manual or an optional 5-speed automatic. There’s also the 2.0L VTEC that produces a massive (for a compact sedan) 197 horses. The Civic will also be featured as a hybrid with a combination of a 1.3L VTEC and a 15 kW motor producing a total of 110 hp. The Hybrid gets a decent 40/45 mpg city/highway fuel economy.

Source: Honda

One thing about the Honda Civic is that it’s a quality sedan. Great for those in a budget looking for a car to ferry themselves and their family around. The improvements to the new Civic (particularly performance and fuel efficiency improvements) also makes it very attractive for potential buyers now that gas prices at the pump are ionosphere high.

For the US alone, Honda sold 53,299 Civics just in the months of May. This is in stark contrast to the previously popular SUV market that took a bitchslap in the mouth as Civic May sales threatened to break Hummer sales for the whole year in 2007 with 55,986. Hummer sales are down 60% in a 12-month cycle and will struggle to even reach 40k by the end of the year.

The Civic also outscored rivaling budget family sedan, the Toyota Corolla (52,826) and even the ever popular Toyota Camry (51,291). This trend also reflects the shift from big vehicles to smaller ones as these three four-door cars raced into the lead ahead of the traditional sales leader, the Ford F-150 (42,973).

Source: Motor Trend Blog

This is how you utilize celebrities under your belt for some good publicity. We’ve always associated Jenson Button with F1 but how quaint is it to see him ride around the Nurburgring in a Honda, but not an Formula 1 car - a Honda Civic Type R. While this probably wouldn’t rival his stint in a reasonably priced car, it’s still nice.

View the longer clip after the cut.

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I love reading head-to-head comparison done on great cars and here’s Inside Line with their comparison of two great cars - the 2006 Honda Civic Si going against the 2006 Volkswagen GTI. Okay, they might not be the swankiest cars around and given that they’re 2006 models, a good lot of them might be circulating around in the used car market. But best of all, they aren’t supercars but both have the reputation of being great budget performance cars.

I do have to admit that Inside Lane’s quite right in pointing out that people would still have different takes with these. Badge loyalty is still a large factor. Numbers go secondary. I have had a strong liking for the VW GTI but it’s because of the classic one. Ever since they did that old vs. new run on the GTI on Top Gear with the old GTI winning quite convincingly, the GTI just lost a bit of appeal. And while I’m not really a Honda kind of guy, I believe the Civic has rightfully earned its status as a street choice.

For the comparison, they pitted a 200-hp GTI to a 197hp Civic. Specs can be a bitch with the variations that one can have but at least the configurations give the head-to-head some fairness. With the 0-60 times only 1/10 of a second apart it’s the weight of the cars and the cost becomes the deciding factor. Inside Lane gives the Civic the edge for the purposes of practicality and I might have to say I agree.

Some car purists swear against tuning and that the beauty of the car’s engineering is in how it is after the car rolls out from the factory. And yet, personally, I do appreciate what tuners do and its because it’s all about trying to get the most beans out of the can. One tuned concept that’s going to hit the stands in the Tokyo Auto Salon the next couple of weeks is the Honda Civic Type-R Modulo concept.

This is one mean Civic. It’s a street-legal and track-ready Civic Type-R that has a body kit (with a wing-type spoiler) and sits on big-ass 19-inch alloy wheels with 225/35 slapped on for better grip and handling.

Inside, the Civic Type-R Modulo concept features a lot of carbon fiber - carbon fiber door panels, carbon fiber center console, and carbon fiber steering wheel with 8-flashing red LEDs warning the driver of the redline rev limit (a la Ferrari) - and a pair of Recaro racing bucket seats.

At the interior, the Civic Type-R Modulo Concept features carbon fiber door panels, carbon fiber steering wheel, carbon fiber handbrake, carbon fiber at the center dash and a pair of Recaro bucket seats.

The current info holds out on the darned engine mods though.

Source: World Car Fans

Chrysler issued a recall of 300,000 SUVs to address a potential braking problem when driving uphill. The recall covers 2006-2007 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Commander, 2007 Jeep Wrangler SUVs and 2007 Dodge Nitro SUVs.

Chrsyler apparently received 20 complaints that vehicles experienced braking delays when drivers stepped on them to stop after coasting uphill. To address the issue, the computer connected to the ABS need to be reprogrammed. A crash has already been reported though no one was seriously harmed.

Apart from these recalls, Chrysler will also put the word out on 72,333 Dodge Avenger sedans and Chrysler Sebring convertibles from the 2008 model year that suffer from problems involving the front door latches and locks.

Earlier this week, Honda also issued a recall of 182,756 Civics due to a faulty wheel bearing O-ring causing it to leak and will cause a wheel to fall off “possibly resulting in a crash,” says Honda. Yeah, a wheel falling off may “possibly” cause it to crash. Now that takes a genius to figure out. Consolation for Civic owners though, Honda will notify owners by mail and replace any damaged parts for free.

Source: Detroit News (Chrysler and Honda)